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Minutes of the 2024 Annual Members’ Meeting

April 27, 2024

The 76th Annual Meeting of the members of Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative Inc. was convened at the Headquarters Building in Wewahitchka, Florida, on Saturday, April 27, 2024.

A special flag-raising ceremony was conducted at 9 a.m. The ceremony was performed by GCEC employees Brandon Price, Dakota Barnes, Hayden Hoffman, Hunter Jenks, Jay Shiver, and Matthew Fleming. Also, veteran employees and board members were Bob Logan, Justin Suber, Pat Floyd, Jimmy Black, Rupert Brown, and Robert Byrd.

The meeting was called to order at 9:15 a.m. by CEO and General Manager John Bartley, who welcomed everyone to the 76th Annual Members’ Meeting. Mr. Bartley shared that for 83 years, the member-owners have trusted the cooperative to energize their homes and ways of life. He stated that the annual meeting is a celebration for the memberowners to enjoy good food, good music, and, most of all, good fellowship.

The invocation was given by Derrick Gerber, pastor of Westside Baptist Church, and the Presentation of Colors was conducted by the Deane Bozeman JROTC. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Board President Jimmy Black.

Vice President of Marketing and Communications Kristin Douglas presented the following announcements:

  • Vittles catered the event, serving barbecue sandwiches, hot dogs, and potato chips. Pepsi products were provided by the cooperative.
  • Douglas encouraged the members to visit the Florida Rural Electric Credit Union booth; the Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative products and services booth to enter to win a free surge protector and TV; the Wewahitchka Ambulance Service booth for a free blood pressure check; and the America’s Electric Cooperatives PAC booth to enter the raffle for the electric grill, donated by PowerSouth.
  • She also announced the children’s bounce house, bucket truck rides, face painting, photo booth, and the safety trailer.
  • She asked that everyone drop off their prize tickets at the front table by the stage and pick up an agenda and a free GCEC hand fan.

Douglas introduced the band Grace and Grit, which provided entertainment for the annual meeting.

Following the entertainment, there was a short break, and Douglas reminded the members to visit the food booth, as well as the displays and booths set up in the conference room. Douglas made a last call for prize ticket drop-off before starting the door prize giveaway portion of the meeting.

Douglas then asked Attorney Pat Floyd to take the podium. Floyd announced a quorum of members had met for the cooperative’s 2024 annual meeting. He exhibited a copy of the annual meeting notice and announced to the membership, as required by the bylaws, that certification and verification of the official notice of the annual meeting had been mailed to the members.

Floyd presented the minutes from the nominating committee, which met Monday evening, Feb. 5, 2024. Nominations were presented by the committee as follows:

  • District III, Group 1 – Rupert Brown
  • District III, Group 2 – Jimmy Black
  • District III, Group 3 – Robert Byrd

Since there was no opposition, Floyd asked for and received a motion and second to elect Rupert Brown (District III, Group 1), Jimmy Black (District III, Group 2), and Robert Byrd (District III, Group 3) for 3-year terms. The motion passed by an affirmative vote of the members.

Bartley then announced each member of the board of trustees and told which areas they represented.

Douglas then came forward to recognize and present plants to the oldest person present, Louise Heath, 94; the youngest person present, Arlo Ruiz, 11 months; the couple who had been married the longest, Beula and Elton Headings, married 62 years; and the couple who had been married the shortest time, Patricia and Austin Williams, married 7 months.

Douglas also announced the oldest male veteran attending the meeting, James Davis, 88, and the oldest female veteran, Barbara Knots, 81.

Douglas then turned the meeting back over to Floyd to conduct the final business.

Floyd asked for a motion to adopt the minutes from last year’s annual meeting. The motion was made and seconded. The motion passed.

Bartley then gave the manager’s report.

Bartley stated that attending the co-op’s annual meeting is truly seeing democracy in action. He thanked the members for their participation in the election. GCEC had more than 3,500 members—roughly 19.24% of its membership—take the time to mail in their ballots or cast their votes online. Bartley announced that those members who took the time to vote were entered into drawings for gift cards, bill credits, and the grand prizes, which were Solo Stoves. He also reminded everyone that every member who took the time to vote would receive a $5 bill credit. Bartley said the cooperative was proud to offer these prizes to its membership in appreciation of their participation.

Bartley shared that the scholarship winners would be announced later in the program. 22 high school seniors from 8 different high schools applied and won $1,000 scholarships that may be used to continue their education at a college, university, or technical school of their choice. He said the cooperative was delighted to assist these students and thanked them and their families for attending the meeting.

Bartley announced that the cooperative was continuing the more than 50-year tradition of recognizing great students through the Rural Electric Youth Tour program. He said that earlier this year, local high school guidance counselors and civic organization representatives nominated high school juniors to compete for a chance to travel to Washington, D.C., this summer. In February, all students nominated traveled to Tallahassee for the state Youth Tour. Bartley said that following the Tallahassee trip, the cooperative held its Youth Tour competition, and this year’s winners are Emily Rollins of Bay High School and Taylor Schreiber of Deane Bozeman School. Bartley said the cooperative was proud to have these students representing the co-op in Washington this year.

Bartley thanked management and employees for a job well done during the past year. He let the members know that day or night, rain or shine, calm or storm, the cooperative’s employees work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to keep member homes comfortable and energized. Bartley said the cooperative was lucky to have such incredible people working behind the scenes to power homes, businesses and communities. He said that whatever comes our way, the cooperative’s employees and board are here to keep the power on and serve the members. He reminded the members that employees and board members were dressed in logoed green shirts and encouraged anyone who needed help to let a staff member or board member know.

Bartley said cooperative personnel are working with engineers and contractors to determine the most cost-effective way to repair or rebuild the Wewahitchka headquarters building. He noted that the cooperative recently acquired the former Dixie Dandy property adjacent to the Wewahitchka office, which will be used as warehouse space. The additional warehouse space was necessary to house materials needed for rapid growth in the service territory, as well as to store materials for rebuilding Tyndall Air Force Base. Having proper office and warehouse facilities ensures reliable service for residential, commercial and Department of Defense members.

Bartley shared that in 2011, GCEC’s 50-year contract to own and maintain the electric and water distribution systems at Tyndall Air Force Base commenced. He said the cooperative has completed several water and electric projects, including replacing aging infrastructure. This contract has given the cooperative the opportunity to hire more employees and help stimulate local economies by buying materials and expanding the co-op.

Bartley said the cooperative’s primary duty is helping Tyndall Air Force Base fulfill its mission to recover and rebuild from the devastation of Hurricane Michael. Supporting Tyndall, he said, is not only a job but also a great honor, as the co-op directly contributes to the security of our country and supports our freedom. Bartley stated the cooperative was proud to be part of “Team Tyndall.”

Bartley shared that safety training is held at least once a month for all GCEC employees and that the cooperative is also committed to safety training for the community. Bartley announced that members could watch demonstrations using the live line trailer, built by cooperative employees, which is taken to local schools, festivals, and training sessions to educate members.

Bartley announced that Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative is a Five-Star Co-op, which encourages consumer-members to learn about federal, state, and local elections; ensures they are registered to vote; empowers them to make informed decisions; and engages with elected officials by inviting them to visit the co-op. GCEC also develops a political game plan to advocate for issues on behalf of the co-op and its members.

Bartley shared that GCEC has 100% participation on behalf of its employees and trustees in America’s Electric Cooperatives PAC, formerly known as the Action Committee for Rural Electrification (ACRE). The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s federal political action committee supports candidates for the U.S. House and Senate—those in office now and those running for office—who will speak for and protect the interests of electric cooperatives and their consumer-owners.

Bartley said GCEC member-owners have the opportunity to be active in this political action committee and encouraged all to stop by the co-op’s booth in the conference room and sign up if they have not already done so.

Bartley stated that the cooperative’s mission is to deliver safe, affordable, and reliable power, and 1 way the cooperative ensures reliability is through its right-of-way program. If vegetation comes into contact with power lines, it can interfere with electric service and cause a potentially dangerous situation. It is vital that vegetation be cleared from power lines to maintain reliable electric service and prevent hazards.

Bartley reminded members that federal law states it is GCEC’s responsibility to eliminate hazardous conditions. He said the co-op does its best to preserve landscaping when maintaining rights of way and asked members to mark anything buried underground that might be harmed by trucks and heavy equipment. He reminded members that the cooperative needs access to fenced-in areas and thanked them for their patience and understanding.

Bartley reminded members about the various ways to do business with the co-op: lobbies, drive-thrus, phone, drop boxes, website, and app.

He noted that GCEC payments are accepted at retailers such as CVS Pharmacy, Dollar General, and Family Dollar. He directed members to gcec.sedccheckout.com to begin the process.

Bartley reminded members about various rebate programs available for certain purchases, such as electric vehicles, HVAC systems and water heaters. He also reminded them about products such as GenerLink, meter poles and surge protection. He directed members to Shannon Hill in the conference room for more information.

Bartley announced that in March, the cooperative began a residential satisfaction survey to find out how well GCEC meets member needs and how it can improve. Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative partnered with a research firm, Inside Information of Kansas City, Missouri, to conduct the survey via telephone and online. The survey measures attitudes and perceptions toward the co-op; satisfaction and loyalty; perceptions on energy efficiency, renewable energy and environmental issues; new product and service offerings; use of technology and communication opportunities; and demographics.

Bartley said that randomly selected members received postcards in the mail asking them to go online and complete the survey. The survey includes questions about reliability, value and quality of service; commitment to the community; concern for the environment; outage restoration; communication with members; and other factors to gauge service quality. All information gathered, he said, would be kept strictly confidential.

Bartley shared that by participating in this short survey, members would help the co-op by providing feedback on Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative, thereby assisting in important decisions about providing reliable power and exceptional member service. He said that at Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative, members are owners and employees are here to serve.

On behalf of the cooperative employees and board, Bartley invited the members to enjoy the annual meeting. He thanked the members for the opportunity to serve and for their time and attention at the meeting.

Floyd called for any unfinished business, and there was none. He then called for any new business, and there was none.

Floyd then announced the election results as follows: 3,420 members voted “yes” to reelect the District III directors, and there was 97% approval for ratification of board actions from May 6, 2023, through April 16, 2024.

Douglas returned to the podium to announce the 2024 GCEC scholarship winners:

  • Tyler Clements, Deane Bozeman School
  • Elizabeth Colwell, Bay High School
  • Yanah Edmundson, Deane Bozeman School
  • Tyler Garcia, Mosley High School
  • Joshua Harris, Mosley High School
  • Peyton Hendley, Bay Virtual School
  • Zamiyah Hill, Mosley High School
  • Samuel Hunter, Wewahitchka High School
  • Katelynne James, Deane Bozeman High School
  • Jaden Lawson, Deane Bozeman High School
  • Lauren Lee, Mosley High School
  • Nathen Marlow, Deane Bozeman High School
  • Savana Mayhann, Wewahitchka High School
  • Jeffrey Drake McGlon, Wewahitchka High School
  • Zoey Metcalf, Port St. Joe High School
  • Jessie Newell, God’s Glory Christian School/Baptist College of Florida
  • Jaslynn Place, Altha Public School Andrew Pliscofsky, Mosley High School
  • Riley Sitkiewitz, Deane Bozeman High School
  • Braylon Strickland, Blountstown High School
  • Tessa Talarico, Port St. Joe High School
  • Hanna Watts, Wewahitchka High School

Douglas concluded the drawing for the remainder of the door prizes and then announced the gift card winners, bill credit winners and the grand prize winners.

The $50 Gift Card Winners Were:

  • Gerald Ake
  • Roohina Anwar
  • Don Bartley
  • Willie Brown
  • Mary Burch
  • William Carr
  • Reeva Chonko
  • Philip Collier
  • Harry Corbitt
  • Jennifer Davis
  • Bonnie Daye
  • Bryan Earley
  • Shawn Fiddler
  • Thomas Fitzpatrick
  • Mary Lou Geary
  • John Gibbs
  • Samuel Hauck
  • Melanie Hinote
  • Ken Kyser
  • Sonya Lowe
  • Coleen Martin-Felipe
  • Ada McLawhon
  • Megan Montin
  • Kenneth Moody
  • Tracy Pietrowski
  • Charles Polito
  • William Pritchard
  • Gail Robers
  • Linda Sale
  • Kenneth Searcy
  • John Schnelbach
  • Linda Somero
  • James Stafford
  • William Stewart
  • Ellen Tate
  • James Tharp
  • Beverly Todd
  • Carolella Trappe
  • Morey Yon
  • Micheal Young

The $100 Bill Credit Winners Were:

  • Scott Albert
  • Donald Bates
  • Bobbie Briney
  • Michael Fidler
  • Todd Hanson
  • Russell Hetherington
  • Richard Lohrding
  • Norman Melvin
  • Bradlee Sinor
  • Crystal and Matthew Seatvet

The winners of the Solo Stoves were Terry Carey and Chris Hammen.

Douglas then announced the drawing winners of the following: GCEC products and services booth TV, which was John Hart, and surge protector, which was T. Kelly; and America’s Electric Cooperatives PAC booth electric grill, which was Pat Hickman.

There being no further business, the 76th annual meeting of the members was adjourned at noon.